Fragment of an Oliphant, 11th–12th century, Attributed to Italy, Sicily, Ivory; carved, Overall: L. 8 3/4 in. ( cm), Ivories

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Fragment of an Oliphant, 11th–12th century, Attributed to Italy, Sicily, Ivory; carved, Overall: L. 8 3/4 in. ( cm), Ivories and Bone, Throughout the Mediterranean, hunting was considered a princely or aristocratic activity. Oliphants were signal horns associated with the hunt. This fragment comes from such a horn, and is elaborately carved with interlacing vines that form linked medallions, enclosing mythical beasts and birds, some of which have tails ending in heads or scrolls

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Size: 2870px × 5090px
Photo credit: © Artokoloro / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 11th–12th, 3/4, 8, , activity, aristocratic, attributed, beasts, birds, bone, carved, century, cm, considered, elaborately, enclosing, form, fragment, heads, horn, horns, hunt, hunting, interlacing, italy, ivories, ivory, linked, medallions, mediterranean, mythical, oliphant, oliphants, princely, scrolls, sicily, signal, tails, vines